It’s time to #FaceHerFuture

20 JULY 2016

Today Fawcett, with the support of many other women’s organisations, are launching a campaign to come together to present a positive vision for women in the UK, challenging the Government to make the UK the best place in the world to be a woman. The campaign is fighting for women’s rights to be protected post-Brexit. TheFace Her Futurecoalition is demanding that current rights are not weakened either directly or indirectly as a result of the Brexit negotiations.

The Government faces a stark choice – to use the opportunity of Brexit to achieve transformational change for women in the UK or to turn the clock back on equality. Women in the UK face a gender pay gap of 19%; 54,000 working mothers experience pregnancy discrimination every year, just 29% of MPs are women; 2 women each week die at the hands of a partner or ex-partner.

EU regulations and cases won in the European Court have given women in the UK the right to equal pay for equal value, maternity rights, part-time workers’ rights, pension entitlements and parental leave rights. International co-operation across the EU has tackled female genital mutilation, human trafficking and developed strategies to combat violence against women. Campaigners warn that these may all be at risk unless government makes women’s rights and women’s lives a key focus of the negotiations. They also argue that any economic downturn may hit women hardest. Previous welfare reforms and spending cuts have fallen disproportionately on women. In these circumstances they maintain, women’s rights become vulnerable.

Sam Smethers, our Chief Executive, explains:

“Brexit presents us with the opportunity to achieve a step change in women’s lives. We have to deliver a better future for women in the UK not turn the clock back. As a first step government must guarantee that there will be no weakening of women’s rights either directly or indirectly.

“We have come together to form the ‘Face Her Future’ campaign to present a positive vision of what our society could be like. We want to make the UK the best place to be a woman. If we can no longer look to Europe to progress women’s rights then we must do it for ourselves.”

The coalition is calling for:

a guarantee that there will be no weakening of women’s rights post-Brexit either directly or indirectly ‘under cover’ of Brexit. Maternity rights, part-time workers’ rights and equal pay for work of equal value all derive from the EU.

women to be represented at every level of the negotiating process. The three cabinet ministers responsible for our Brexit negotiations (Davis, Fox and Johnson) are all men.

gender impact assessment of major spending decisions – we must ensure that women are not hit hardest by recession and austerity as they have been in the past.

a strategic focus on ending violence against women and girls, including international co-operation to do so.

Migrant workers from the EU who are already here to be allowed to remain.

Action to tackle racist abuse and hate crimes, including those disproportionately experienced by women

To kick off the campaign the Fawcett Society will be launching a social media challenge, calling on people to#FaceHerFutureand post photos of themselves with a woman they care about, stating what they want to see in her future. Please use#FaceHerFutureand get involved!

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The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights. If you believe in a society where no one is prevented from reaching their full potential because of their gender, join us today.

Millicent Fawcett began campaigning for women’s equality in 1866, and was instrumental in achieving first votes for women in 1918. At The Fawcett Society, we’ve continued her legacy of fighting sexism through impactful research and hard-hitting campaigns for over 150 years.

We’re delighted to have a growing number of active and effective local women’s rights meet ups, who work in the local community to enforce change and campaign on our behalf. Their work is invaluable to Fawcett.

Inspire others: Volunteer with Future Fawcett

2018 marks 100 years since women first secured the right to vote, and we're marking it by launching Future Fawcett, an education outreach programme to inspire young people through our suffrage history, and teach them about women's rights today.

We need volunteers to make it happen. Are you ready to inspire the next generation of feminists?

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We've been fighting for over 150 years to win hard-earned rights for women living in Britain. With Brexit on the horizon, it's more important than ever that we stand together to defend them. Will you stand with us, and help end gender inequality for good?